Chanterelle Country Inn & Cottages, Baddeck, Nova Scotia

You can find Chanterelle Country Inn high in the hills of Cape Breton on one of the great drives of Canada. It’s a gentle place to stay with tranquil vistas and great food. From day one in 2000, owner Earlene Busch was determined to create a vacation experience for her guests that respects the environment.

She was rewarded in 2009 by being named to National Geographic Traveler’s list of eco-friendly places to stay and a four leaf designation in the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Programme.

She writes: “The property is dedicated to making as small a footprint as possible on the pristine North River Valley. In addition to our use of solar space and water heating system, we serve locally produced ingredients in the restaurant, and use only natural and fragrance-free cleaners and laundry soaps. Our hand and facial soaps are made exclusively for the Chanterelle Inn from natural ingredients by a local soap maker. We use no pesticides or herbicides. And, of course, we are committed to pre-and re-cycling and ask our guests to join us in that effort.”

She takes those ideals into the kitchen where she does most of the cooking. She can tell you precisely the source of her ingredients, including how far they’ve traveled. The menu changes every day but there’s always a vegetarian dish and some seafood. One of my favourite breakfast dishes was a simple custard that she’d topped with blueberry compote.

Chanterelle Country Inn is one of about 250 restaurants that celebrate Food Day across Canada. Contact them at the number below to reserve a table.